Housing/urban Issues/Gentrification

Park Police raid destroys McPherson Square tent city

In recent months, McPherson Square had hosted a tent city set up by those evicted by Mayor Bowser's sweeps of so many other camps. On Feb 15, US Park Police and biohazard-suited trash collectors stormed McPherson and destroyed the tent city, evicting everyone and arresting two people who stood their ground.

Update Feb 17: Washington Post(disable js to bypass paywall): DC Admits only two former McPherson residents got permanent housing, 20 got temporary housing, 50+ scattered and still sleeping outside

Update Feb 16: Report on Twitter NPS had inserted undercover cops into the tent city

Video: Biohazard suited cowards protected by Park Police load tents into trash trucks, a veteran is arrested for standing his ground 1 min 41 sec

Video-McPherson resident stands his ground with constitutional arguments against tent city eviction 5 min 9 sec

NPS promised to store people's belongings. This storage of course was in the trash truck, transfer station, and landfill or incinerator

NPS destroys unhoused camp at 9th and I by Convention Center

On the 24th of August, the National Park service attacked an unhoused camp at 9th and I near the Convention Center, destroying tents and belongings, then fencing off the park. The excuse given for it is "turf rehabilitation" meaning grass is considered more important than people's lives

Video: before and after the attack 13 sec, two clips by Annemarie Cuccia

This fence is of light material, vulnerable to righteous removal with small cutting tools and gloved hands.

Community activists protest Truist Bank's fence, closure, and plans for Adams-Morgan Plaza

On the 17th of June, DC community activists rallied in front of Truist Bank in Adams-Morgan before marching to Adams-Morgan Plaza. At the plaza, they restored the memorial to Miguel Gonzales that Truist Bank had again destroyed. Afterwards the march proceeded though the streets to Dupont Circle.

Video: activists march on the plaza, again rebuild monument to Miguel Gonzales 2 min 16 sec

Community activists restore Miguel Gonzales memorial destroyed by Truist Bank

On the 4th of June, community activsts returned to the fenced-off Adams-Morgan Plaza. Once there, they restored the memorial on the fence to Miguel Gonzales. Miguel was murdered by Truist Bank when they took his blankets while clearing the plaza by force. He died shortly therafter from hypothermia.

Video-setting the Miguel Gonzales memorial back up 39 sec

NPS evicts unhoused camp at Union Station/Columbus Circle

On June 1, the National Park Service raided the unhoused tent camp at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station. They loaded tents into a trash truck, reports are the occupants of the tents had sucessfully moved with some of their gear to other camps. Anything people were unable to carry away was destroyed by the Park Service. Not a single person was placed in any form of indoor housing.

Update June 2:One woman stood her ground and refused to move at the end of the eviction. Park Police first tasered her, then committed her against her will to a psychiatric facility (like the Soviet Union used to do.)

Video-NPS pulls down tents, load them into garbage trucks 52 sec

Adams-Morgan Plaza memorial to Miguel Gonzales destroyed by unknown parties

Miguel Gonzales used to sleep on Adams-Morgan Plaza. When Truist Bank fenced it off, he was displaced and was found dead shortly therafter. A memorial to him had been erected on the fence, only to be destroyed sometime between Wed May 4 and Thurs, May 5 by unknown forces.

The memorial to Miguel Gonzales on Truist Bank's fence around Adams-Morgan plaza before it was destroyed

Property of unhoused residents of 18th and Columbia Road plaza stolen by security guards

This is a bit delayed, but reports have reached Indymedia that on Feb 26th,. Truist Bank's security guards stole posessions of unhoused residents on the plaza at 18th and Columbia Road. Unhoused residents have been driven from the plaza by harassment but activists still hold it. Truist Bank is attempting to fence off, then demolish the plaza for condo construction but has been hung up in court for decades.

Mayor Bowser gets Cancel The Rent protest at her house

On the 20th of November, Cancel the Rent DC marched on the suburban-style home of DC's Mayor Muriel Bowser. Activists were demanding the recently-expired moratorium on evictions be put back into force among other demands. An eviction notice is an especially nasty Yule present from any landlord.

Video featuring the demands of Cancel the Rent DC 2 min 22 sec

Neighbors ask lone counterprotester to turn down music or leave at rally to save McMillan Park

On the 30th of October, opponents of "redevelopment" of McMillan Park into "mixed use" office, upscale retail, and luxury apartments held a rally at 1st and Bryant Sts NE. A single supporter of the developers attempted to counterprotest by playing one song over and over at top volume on a sound system mounted in his car. Neighbors disturbed by the noise demanded he turn it down or leave.

The car with the raised hatch contains the solo pro-developer counterprotester

One person hit by bulldozer in violent police/DPW eviction of L and M st tent emcampments

On the 4th of October, DC Mayor Bowser suddenly moved up an eviction of the L and M st unhoused encampments scheduled for two days later. MPD and DPW attacked with bulldozers and trash trucks, and one person was struck when an occupied tent was partially bulldozed. Earlier, an Indymedia vidoegrapher was told by cops he could be run down by a bulldozer that was about to move a tent to a trash truck.

Update: Bowser's tent removal program SUSPENDED after occupied tent bulldozed.

Video: tent resident DOWN, cops get violent after occupied tent bulldozed 48 sec

Video: Dozer trashes tent after videographer warned of potentially being run down 1 min 56 sec

Video-Mike Murillo's clip of scene after attempt to bulldoze occupied tent 15 sec

Mayor Bowser's position on the unhoused

Pages